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Tamra

For 14 years, fans of John Ronald Reuel Tolkien have been celebrating his life and works annually on March 25. Organized by the Tolkien Society, Tolkien Reading Day encourages fans to read their favorite passages from the master storyteller.

J.R.R. Tolkien, who was born in South Africa in 1892 and eventually moved to England, became one of the most distinguished Oxford University professors. Teaching Anglo-Saxon studies then English language and literature, Tolkien began writing stories using elements of Celtic, Nordic and English folklore. His fanciful descriptions and stubborn determination to preserve his creative nuances in his writings has given Tolkien a fan base that is as dedicated to his writing purity as he was during his lifetime. Tolkien’s most popular book, The Lord of the Rings took about 13 years to complete.

(Tamra Bolton)

Often called a trilogy, The Lord of the Rings is in fact, a single novel, consisting of six books plus appendices and only published as three volumes for convenience. Tolkien actually wanted the last published volume to be titled The War of the Ring, because he felt “it gave away less of the story”.

If you’ve only seen the popular movies based on his books: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King, you have only scratched the surface of J.R.R. Tolkien’s genius.

This weekend, in celebration of Tolkien Reading Day, grab a copy of one of his books and see what you can discover. Tolkien brings to life the struggles of Middle Earth with a depth and a clarity that the films cannot touch. If you want the version most faithful to Tolkien’s intent and the nearest to his original, the recent printing by Houghton Mifflin Company is my favorite. So make some coffee, tea or pour yourself a glass of wine and curl up with your favorite characters and celebrate one of the great literary minds of our time.

AMG/Parade Digital

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